Notes of Corporate Parenting Strategic Board Meeting
14th April 2010, Cranworth Room
Present:
Alison Thomas, Deputy Cabinet Member for Vulnerable Children (Chair)
Malcolm Griffiths, Children’s Services
Alison Murphy, Children’s Services
Chris Hobley, Norfolk Constabulary
Sue Sands, Norwich City Councillor
Martin Sale, Norfolk Governors Network
Bert Bremner, County Councillor
Fiona Martin, PA to Malcolm Griffiths, Children’s Services (note taker)
Also in Attendance: Irene Kerry, Children’s Services
Stewart Betts, Children’s Services
1.
Welcome, introduction, apologies
Apologies were received from Shelagh Hutson, Alistair
Beales, Sue Massey, Richard Bearman and James Joyce.
Leigh Vallance has retired from BREAK.
2.
Christine Brown is unable to attend due to commitments being
the Project Officer for the organisational review of Children’s
Services.
Notes and matters arising from meeting on 13th January
2010
The notes were agreed as being accurate.
Mentors for Children’s Homes – Shelagh is handing this
over to Alison Thomas. This is in hand.
3.
CRB Checks – Malcolm is still trying to get all Scrutiny Panel
members CRB checked. New regulations are coming in for
everyone to have been CRB checks.
Feedback from the In Care Council First Annual Event
(Irene Kerry)
Irene Kerry did a presentation to the Board (attached)
following the first Annual Event. She highlighted the following
areas of work that the Council have been involved in:
There are 5 area councils and 2 countywide groups (junior
and senior councils). Both groups work on the same
materials and consultation. Both of the countywide ICC’s
are up and running.

2 members attended the Ministerial Stocktake in London
where they made good links and met with Richard
Morgan.

Members have also attended the Children’s Trust Board’s
National Conference where they presented an exercise on
translating jargon. Since then the ICC have been asked
by 6 other Local Authorities for a copy of their exercise.

2 members are on the NSCB Steering Group. They have
met with the NSCB where they had a conversation
regarding safeguarding which none of the young people
knew about.

A young person friendly guide to safeguarding is nearing
completion.

The ICC are involved in interviews of 4 or the 5 areas for
social care posts.

Last year 7 young people visited Germany and have
written up their findings. The report will be available
shortly.

One of the ICC’s have recently held its first inter-football
competition at the Norwich City Football Academy. Young
people were given the opportunity to meet some of the
first team players.

One of the young people from the Council has attended
the Young Regional Group for National Voice. Links have
also been made with LILAC, who are able to give their
seal of approval for the voice of the child. There are
ongoing discussions between Norfolk and LILAC over a
franchise agreement.
Through the Care Matters grant, there is money available for
Children’s Services to run an apprenticeship scheme for one
care leaver.
Alison Thomas would like Irene’s presentation to be seen by
the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel.
Irene was asked to pass on to Malcolm and the Strategic
Board thanks from the ICC as they feel they wouldn’t have
been able to achieve what they have done without their
support. Irene also reminded the Board that there is an open
invitation to attend their meetings which are held on the first
Monday of each month. Members need to contact Irene
directly if they wish to attend.
4.
Irene was thanked for the presentation.
Corporate Parenting Multi-agency Action Plan (Stewart
Betts)
Since the draft version being circulated to the CPSB, it has
now been distributed to the Operations Group for comment.
There are some final alterations to make.
If the plan is to work, outcomes are the key items. Now that
the government are confident that local authorities have got
specific pupil reference numbers for each child, we should be
able to do more detailed work on performance. It was
suggested that there is a half yearly performance tied in to the
plan. The Board needs to make sure these are being done
and is effective.
5.
It was agreed that the plan will be discussed again at the next
meeting in February.
Implementation Update on Care Matters and 2008
Children Act (Malcolm Griffiths)
Malcolm circulated the attached summary document which
identifies all key changes that the Act has brought in and
shows Norfolk’s activity in relation to them. Malcolm
highlighted:

Regarding Personal Education Allowances (P.E.A.),
the grant has gone into the area based grant. The
government is in constant dialogue with local
authorities on how these budgets are being spent.
Norfolk has ring-fenced the grant; and Malcolm gave
examples of what the P.E.A. money is being used for
eg:
-
2 groups have been set up in Great
Yarmouth to make films. There is a
continuing development of our links with
Museums, Art Therapy and workshops.
-
There has been a major review of the
Personal Education Plans.
-
Some older children are using allowances
to buy I.T. equipment.

The Board will need to monitor the pledge it has
developed to its Children in Care.

Lisa Christensen wrote a supplementary letter to each
LAC explaining what has been done in each of the 5
areas, following Ed Balls’ letter (attached).

New minimums standards have been devised for
residential, fostering and adoption services. The
residential training programme is being changed to
meet these requirements.

5 residential workers commence on the social
pedagogy degree course commencing in September.

There is a major change of emphasis in how IROs
discharge their legal responsibilities. The IROs need
to make sure that the child’s voice is being heard.

Under the Sufficiency Guidance, Norfolk should not be
placing children out-county. In future when Norfolk is
inspected, they are going to be challenged why if any
children are out-county. There will be a sufficiency
guidance update available at the next meeting.

Cathy Larkowsky is doing a residential review.

Shaun Burland has completed an analysis on fostering
shortfalls.
6.
7.

Justin Rolph is doing a strategic review around both
placement and activity budgets (linked to sufficiency
guidance).

Stewart Betts is working on improving the advocacy
service.

A new fostering agency has been set up locally.

The key agenda for 2011 is ensuring that the local
authority can show how it is discharging its
responsibilities.
AOB
There was none.
Date of next meeting
Alison Thomas to liaise with Sue Piper (SP). The meeting
ideally needs to take place in April.
AT/SP